’13 Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme Driver: Pics & Specs

To design Callaway’s latest driver, the 2013 Razr Fit Xtreme, company engineers broke down the key ingredients of its most successful drivers models, realigning them with new technology that makes the Razr Fit Xtreme lower spinning, more forgiving and deliver more ball speed than its predecessor, the 2012 Razr Fit driver.

The Razr Fit Xtreme is also Callaway’s widest ranging driver offering according to Evan Gibbs, manager of performance analysis and club configuration for Callaway. This is because the lower-lofted Razr Fit Xtreme drivers (8.5 degrees, 9.5 degrees and 10.5 degrees) have different performance characteristics than the higher-lofted drivers (11.5 degrees and 13 degrees).

The OptiFit Hosel adjusts the face angle to an Open, Square, or Closed position at address and the OptiFit Weights (13 grams and 1 gram) also shift the clubhead’s CG to help you play a Draw or Neutral ball flight off the tee.

The lower-lofted Razr Fit Xtreme drivers are modeled after Callaway’s FT Tour drivers, which were extremely popular on the PGA Tour. While the Razr Fit found its way into the bags of many better players and tour players, Callaway received feedback that many preferred the lower-spinning FT Tour drivers to the higher-spinning Razr Fit.

“We took a step back and looked at how each loft was going to be played,” Gibbs said. “We saw that better players wanted a smaller footprint and a more penetrating trajectory, while higher-handicappers wanted larger, more forgiving footprint and more spin for optimum distance.”

In order to lower the spin rate of the Razr Fit Xtreme, Callaway engineers needed to lower the driver’s center of gravity (CG), which they did by removing weight from the driver’s “Forged Composite” crown. Engineers also thinned the perimeter of the “Speed Frame Face” that was used on the Razr Fit driver.

This Speed Frame Face creates incredibly fast ball speeds all across the face for longer, more consistent distance.

The thinner face, combined with Callaway’s updated “VFT” and “Hyperbolic Face Technology,” adds more speed to mishits according to Gibbs. The face also has more curvature than in previous Callaway drivers, which helps straighten out off-center strikes.

The weight saved from the face (about 3 grams) was moved to more optimal positions such as the rear toe section of the sole, where it deepens the center of gravity and makes the Razr Fit Xtreme’s adjustable weights more symmetrical, adding stability to the head.

These changes have resulted in more distance and less spin for Callaway Staffers like Luke List, who led all tours in driving distance in 2012. Gibbs said that during testing List picked up 16.6 yards with the new driver compared to his Razr Fit, adding 0.6 mph of ball speed and reducing his spin rate by almost 500 rpms.

Like the Razr Fit, the Razr Fit Xtreme driver allows golfers to adjust the face angle to one of three settings: neutral, open and closed. But the lower-lofted and higher-lofted models have two very different appearances at address.

The lower-lofted models measure 440cc and have a 1-degree open face angle at the neutral setting. Changing the Opti-Fit Hosel to the open setting on these drivers will open the face another 1.5 degrees, resulting in a face that is 2.5 degrees open at address. If they are adjusted to the closed setting, the face will rest 0.5 degrees closed.

The higher-lofted drivers measure 460cc and are longer heel-to-toe than the lower-lofted versions. This places the sweetspot of the club closer to the hosel, which increases draw bias. The higher-lofted models also sit in a square position when set in neutral, meaning they can be adjusted to either 1.5 degrees open or closed.

On both the lower-lofted and higher lofted drivers, changing to the face angle will also change the loft of the club. The closed setting adds 1 degree of loft to the neutral setting (a 9.5-degree driver becomes a 10.5-degree) while the open setting subtracts 1 degree (a 9.5-degree driver becomes an 8.5-degree). According to Gibbs, Callaway’s testing showed that better players had a tendency to use the Opti-Fit Hosel to adjust loft, while higher handicap players used it to correct a hook or slice.

One of the most important features of the Razr Fit Xtreme drivers to consumers could potentially be the stock shaft offerings. Many OEMs install stripped-down versions of popular shafts in their drivers that have altered characteristics. For Callaway’s newest lineup, the company decided to use an unmodified Aldila Trinity shaft, as well as unmodified Matrix Black Tie7M3 shaft. The Matrix shaft alone carries a $300-plus price tag at retail, making the retail price of the Razr Fit Xtreme, $399, all the more impressive. The Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme drivers will be available at retail on Jan. 18, 2013.

Additional Tech Specs and info:

Composite materials such as the Forged Composite that the Razr Fit Xtreme driver uses in its crown have a tendency to mute a driver’s sound and cause a “thud” feeling at impact. According to Gibbs, Callaway engineers worked hard on the acoustics of the Razr Fit Xtreme, making sure it had a “loud and metallic” sound.

Callaway received feedback that the 2012 Razr Fit’s swingweight of D6 was too heavy, so the 2013 Razr Fit Xtreme drivers will have a D4 swingweight, which was accomplished by reducing the head weight 5 grams. Standard shaft lengths with be 45.5 inches.

The tip diameter of the Opti-Fit Hosel has been changed from 0.350 to 0.335 to match industry trends. Previous Opti-Fit Hosels will fit in the Razr Fit Xtreme drivers, but their 0.350 shafts will not fit in the new Opti-Fit sleeves.

A weight kit of 4, 6, 8 and 10 grams will be available to adjust CG and swingweight. No Tour Authentic model is planned at this time, nor is there an Opti-Fit Hosel with more options in the works according to Gibbs.

The green color of the Razr Fit was inspired by the popularity of the 2012 Razr Fit Tour Authentic driver, which also has a green color scheme. It also matches the color of the most playable shaft option, the Aldila Trinity.

Callaway’s UDesign for the Razr Fit Xtreme driver will launch on Jan. 18 with the driver. Consumers will be able to choose from eight different color options — black, white, blue, red, orange, green, purple and yellow — which can be placed on the sole, crown, or both. Laser etching on the sole will also be available, although pricing is still undetermined. Expect for it to be around $50.

He's been a part of the company since 2012, when he was hired to develop GolfWRX's front page. Since that time, GolfWRX has become the go-to destination on the web for golf equipment news, tour news, instruction and opinion.

Zak also developed GolfWRX's Featured Writer Program, which supports aspiring writers who want to improve their skills and allows established golf professionals to communicate directly with readers.

He played college golf at the University of Richmond, where he took too many strokes. Good thing he also studied journalism and creative writing.

You can follow Zak on Twitter @ZakKoz, where he's happy to discuss all the cool gear and insider info that's part of his job.

26 COMMENTS

Got this thing in June 2014, 10.5 w the Aldila S shaft. HATED it at first, I was playing a TM R10TP w/ a Graffaloy Prolaunch 3.5X at the time. My initial impression was that this thing felt hollow, and I was losing some distance with the lower spin. After hitting this thing all summer, I’m glad to say I was totally wrong. If you have a good driver swing, this thing can really crank the ball. Off center hits are generally forgivable, unless you hit it high on the face, where the ball will launch high with a ton of back spin, and probably slice. Low toe/heel hits definitely go low, but still deliver enough ball speed to get acceptable distance.

My only complaint is the sound… it sounds like hammering a nail in an empty concert hall… very metallic and echo-y. Nothing like the baseball home run sound I was used to with drivers in the past. The feel is also a tad soft at impact, but don’t let that fool you, this thing delivers a serious punch.

I’ve found this thing works best with a higher compression ball, but maybe that’s just my preference.

Hit the razr fit xtreme with the 9.5 loft 20 yards further on the simulator than I have hit any other club in my life. I was hitting 260 yards consistently, which I will take everyday of the week. My birthday is next month I’m going back and getting it, Happy Birthday to me!!!

Most of the comments having to do with the names and looks are comical. Its the fact that the materials are a step ahead of everyone else to build a superior golf club. This started with BIg Bertha and continues today. The incremental steps taken ever couple of years builds a better product. Callaway is always a step ahead with material that outperforms anyone else.

I have hit this driver with the new Trinity shaft. It’s actually really good. But callaway is coming out with a new line of drivers and woods called the Hot series and there basically the same just with a little cheaper price tag. The Hot series is supposed to be a longer club and will be offered in grey.

the trinity shaft is only in this driver but thats because it isnt even released yet, there will be a mass offering of that shaft eventually. the club is LEGIT looking, i dont understand people that complain about glare, looking down at a bright white head with scuffs all over it is worse looking that this is, for me anyway. plus the udesign you can get all sorts of color combos top and bottom. the distance gained by luke isnt suspect if you have any idea about trackman and how to make it produce huge numbers, hit a low spin draw and itll pump out some huge digits for you, but the point of the club is to make your current ability perform better so his not gaining much speed is exactly the point.

Well, the marketing from TM always entices me to demo their woods, but they haven’t performed better than the Callaway woods these past few years for me at least. I love my Razr Fit, but look forward to trying this Exreme driver, I like the smaller head size and the new color scheme. I haven’t heard of that Trinity shaft which I will need some more information on. Looks good, hope it hits good.

The distance increase by Luke List seems suspect to me. It says that ball speed increased only 0.6 mph (less than one mph), which means that his swing speed was roughly only 0.4 mph more, since ball speed is roughly 1.5 times swing speed. And the spin went down only 500 rpm’s. Hard to believe that this equates to over 16 yards increase.
I’m glad they’re using unmodified shafts such as the Matrix shaft, but the Trinity shaft will be used ONLY in this Callaway club, so that is misleading since Callaway could have had it made to any specs it wants, as it is not a true aftermarket high grade shaft. The torque is quite high in this shaft for a supposedly premium shaft (4.5 in S flex, 5.4 in R flex), and the disparity in flex frequency (cpm’s) is really big between the R and S flex, considering that one flex is typically just 10 cpm’s (like in the Matrix specs), while in this Trinity shaft it is 22 cpm’s difference, which is actually two full flexes+.
But I do like the look of the club, and the Twitter marketing campaign worked very well.
I’ve tried prior Callaway drivers with their stock Callaway Aldila Voodoo shaft, but I don’t think it was the true Voodoo aftermarket shaft, and the S flex was quite whippy.

Not wild about the whole “we know what players/hacks want” line. Why not just release two versions in a variety of lofts instead of forcing certain players into an ego vs. performance decision. Also– the thing looks nice from the top, but I wouldn’t be caught dead what that “ghostbuster barf” green, even if I was Ian Poulter.

image 1 top left hand coner…Reflection, Reflection, Reflection!!! when are you guys going to get it…go white, the year is 2013! Get Harry and the guru marketing team to talk up how good it is you can see up your own nose at address. Phil will have to get a new TM driver to match his RBZ 3 wood…You dont need a crystal ball to see another Q1 loss for Callaway next year…come on guys you are better that this?

I am surprised there isn’t a lightweight shaft option, 67 and 71 g in stiff flex. I like the look of the head but with my 101-103mph swing speed I doubt it will be longer for me than my current set up my a 55g shaft

Zak, really appreciate the Shafts and CPM ratings.I buy one model old..bought a 910D3 yesterday with
Regular Kai’li .Great technical analysis of how they designed the Extreme.
I’m an ex FT IZ owner.No doubt a new R11 is due tomorrow in response, so we all win !

I usually never get excited about “New” as the improvements are usually slight and it takes a few years for them to add up enough for me to make a purchase- that said; I want one of these if the shafts work for me.